BraunAbility is a mobility solutions company. She recently tackled an important and demanding job, that of adapting New York taxis to make them accessible even to those in wheelchairs. Now the company raises the bar.
The vehicle used for the adaptation, a Nissan NV200, showed great versatility. Nonetheless, BraunAbility has decided to also design modifications for any car. For this reason, a system called Chair Topper was developed. Chair Topper is literally an automated wheelchair “lift” that uses the roof of the car to store a wheelchair, and free up space in the car for luggage and passengers.
Chair Topper, put the shell on the roof of the car
Sometimes the wheels of the wheelchair, especially on rainy days, are dirty with dirt or mud: the problem is solved by a system like this, because the interior of the car remains clean. Another problem solved: in places with narrow parking it is difficult to load a wheelchair from the tailgate. Chair Topper also works in these situations.
Safe in its enclosure on the roof of the car, the wheelchair does not risk rain or impacts, completely protected from the elements. Chair Topper features an automatic winch, the actual core of the lift, which extends out of the shell and can lift a maximum weight of 20 kilos (44 pounds).
The system can be easily installed by either qualified personnel or a body shop, and adds a more than reasonable height of approximately 50 centimeters (21,5 inches) to the vehicle.
